Drier



F. P. REED.

Patented Oct. 17, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

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DRIER.

. 1920. RENEWED JULY 26, 1922.

1,432,73 I Patented 0ct.17,192 2.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-31 I wvmtoz Baden? Pfieed 931 abhor/140x35 P 9: E 1415;?" m

F. P. REED.

DRI ER. APPLI CATION FILED DECJH, 1,920- RENEWED JULY 26 I922.

1,432,736. Patented Oct. 17,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

cjwvemtoz Eederq': 7? Feed 351 31 5 fitted La s Patented Oct. 17, 1922.

P A T N T 5 t" FREDEEIC PAYSON REED, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CHARLES C. ORCUTT.

DRIER.

Application filed December 31,- 1920, Serial No. 434,231. Renewed July 26, 1922. Serial no. 577,738.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERIO PAYSON Rune, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange,in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driers; and I do hereby declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in driers for paper and the like in the web, and relates to that type of drier, wherein the web is dried by artificial heat, in a continuous operation.

An object of the invention is to provide electrically controlled means for heating and drying the web, over which the web is moved continuously, while so supported that it is under tension, to prevent buckling, Warping and blistering.

Another object is to provide a support for the web, arranged to travel with the web, and to be moved at the speed of the web, and which will offer a minimum of impediment to the passage of the heat to the underside of the web.

Another object is to provide a support of such character that a relatively high temperature may be maintained in the heating means, without any danger of scorching or burning the web.

A further ob'ect is to provide an arrangement of heating and drying mechanism composed of one or more independent units, any number of which may be combined into a battery, and wherein eachunit is complete in itself. i

A further object is to. provide a support so shaped as regards the web engaging portion that it will constrain the web to assumean arched formation longitudinally, as it travels with the support, whereby to hold the web taut and under tension to prevent warping, buckling or blistering.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side View, showing the improved drier, in connection withthe delivery end of a Fourdrinier machine, Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section of one of the units shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4

is a plan view of a portion of the web support, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the bars, Figs. 6 and 7 are sections on the lines 6-6 and 7-7, respectlvely, of Fig. 4, Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing a method of arranging the units in a battery.

In the present embodiment of the invention the improved heater and drier is shown 1n connection with the delivery end of a F ourdrinicr machine indicated at 1, the web 2 of paper passing from the machine to the drier. The improved drier is composed of similar units, any number of which may be used, as for instance two being shown in Figure 1, and the paper is dried in a continuous operation, without checking the movement of the web, and with a minimum of travel of the web. Furthermore the web is supported and tensioned throughout its travel, so that it will dry uniformly, and without warping or bending. Each unit of the improved heater includes an open top boxlike casing, composed of a bottom 3, end walls 1, and side walls 5, the said casing being of any suitable material, as for instance sheet metal as shown. The upper edges of the side walls of the casing arch from end to end of the casing, being of greatest height at their center, and decreasing in height towards their ends. The side walls extend above the ends at the ends of the sidewalls, as shown in Figure 2, and each side wall is inwardly flanged at its upper edge, as shown at 6. Rollers 7 are journaled transversely of the top of the casing, the peripheral surface of the rollers being just below the flanges 6, and each roller has a shaft 8 whose ends extend through openings in the side walls of the casing, and are journaled in bearings 9 on a suitable frame 10 which supports the casing. A pair of rollers 11*11"= is journaled at the ends of the casing, one member 11 of each pair being near the top of the end, and the other member 11 of each pair being below the bottom 3 of the casing and extending outwardly beyond the end of the casing. A roller 12 is journaled beneath the casing at the center thereof and a tension roller 13 is arranged between each roller 11 and the roller 12. The tension roller 13 is journaled in a pair of arms 14, which are units pivoted at 15, to the frame 10, and weights 16 may be connected with the arms to secure the proper tension.

The {rollers .7, 11, 111 and 12 support an endless belt 17 of flexible foraminous material, in such manner that one run of the belt is at the open top of the casing, and closes the said top. The rollers? are arranged to support the said belt just below the flanges 6, and the web 2 rests upon the said run of the belt, and ,is supported thereby. The edges of the run of the belt and theedges of 'the web are beneath the flanges 6. The rollers 11, 11, '12 and 13 have end flanges as shown in Figure 2, for retaining the beltl? in proper position with respect to the flanges 6, and'to prevent lateraldisplacement thereof.

The endless belt l7, is as before stated oi? flexible ior aininous material, and it is of such construction that the heated air may circulate irecly through the same from every direction, both vertically from the heaters to the web, or laterally :from the sides. A

' preferable material for the'belt is wire cloth,

as shown in Figure 4. This material provides a support "for the web, which will engage it at restricted pointsrelatively close set and will permit a maximum circulation of heated air. "The heating units are supported in'the casing below the web, and each unit as shown more particularly in Figure 3, composed of a pair of insulated members 18 circular in cross-section, and "having a longitudinally extending groove 19 which is engaged by the edge of a supporting plate 20. The heating wire 21 is wound upon these members in spiral term, and the members are grooved 'to hold the coils of the wire in spaced relation, as clearly shown in FigureB. Rachel. the plates 20 is provided at one end with a longitudinally extending notch 21, and at the other with a hook 22. Pairs of arn is are secured to the side walls of the casing, the members of each pair being secured to opposite side walls and extending toward each otheiyand being in register, and each arm 23 carries at its inner end a bolt 24. ()nepf these bolts is engaged with the notch 21 of a plate, and the other bolt is engaged by the "hook 522. Vl hen the nuts of the bolts are tightened, the plate is clamped to the arms, and the heater is supported spaced above the bottom of the casing and below the ,upper run of the belt 1,7. The terminals of the heating wires 21 of the units maybe eonnected'in any suitable manner to an electrical circuit, and as many maybe used as may :be 'found advisalole.

Between the Fourdrinier machine, and between each of the units of the heater, the web is passed between :tensioning rollers indicated at A set of these rollers is ar-, ranged between each pair of adjacent units,

between the first unit and the F ourdrinier machine, and between the last unit and the receivingmechanism fqrathe dried web. The rollers arearranged with theiraxes ,in the same plane, and the web passes over the lat- ,eral rollers and beneath the central roller and is guided thereby.

In Figure 1 the units are shown as arranged in alignment. In Figure 5 they are shown superposed or one above the other. llhisiarrangement is preferred in some cases, especially where there is a lack of space, since a battery of units occupies no more floor space than a-single unit when arranged as shown in-Figure $1. In the arrangement Figure 8 the units indicated generally at are supportedoneabove the otheronthe frame 27." They are 'in all respects similar to ,the'units shown in Figure 2, and the web passes over the topmost unit,-downwardly the right end of-theframe, over the-succeed ing-unit and downwardly at t-he left end of the, frame to'the thirdunit. A set oftension rollers 28 is arrangedat each end of the frame, one set between the first andsecond units and the otherbet-ween the second and third units. These rollers 28 correspond to the rollers 25, and the web passes between them in the same manner as it passes betweenthe rollers25. Another set of tension rollers -28 is arranged at the delivery end of the lowermost 'unit, and a set 30 is arranged at the receiving end of the topmost unit.

{Draft openings may be provided in the side walls 5 of the heater-box, and dampers 31 are provided for regulating the flow of air through theopenings and through the box. U lVhile not wishing to be bound by anything, itis my present-opinion that'the wire nettingon which the webissupported, plays an important. part in the advantageous results attained, partly by equalizing and distributing the heat after the principle ofthe ininers safety lamp and partly by "forming pockets or cells in which air and steam are temporarily entrapped and so protect the web from the scorchingeifect ofthe electric heaters; By this apparatus the web can be subjected to temperatures far above those usually used in steam cylinder driers. The initial cost of the apparatus is lower than for steam drying, the-space required is less,

and thereis often much convenience in using electrical energy for drying, particularly where water-power is plentiful and coal is scarce The netting which forms the belt which supports the web',- is of a construction especially adapted for this purpose, in that it is so constituted that the portions which engage the belt are restricted portions, and they are relatively close set. =Referring to Figures it to 7 inclusive, it will be seen that the netting is composed of a series of bars 32 formed from Wire or the like, bent into zigzag form, the alternate zigzags being offset laterally from the intermediate zigzags. Thus the alternate Zigzags of each barlie in a different plane to the intermediate zigzags, and only the alternate zigzags engage the web. These bars are arranged in pairs, the members of each pair being connected at their ends, and each bar is linked with the other member of the pair and with the adjacent bar of the adjacent pair. Thus there is formed extending diagonally of the web in one direction a series of ribs, spaced apart from each other as will be seen from Figure 4. The ribs are not continuous, but are interrupted, as clearly shown in Figures 6 and 7, so that the web is engaged by relatively close set restricted portions of the belt. There is provided thus a maximum of support, with; a minimum of contact, and in addition the wide grooves between'the ribs provide pockets for air and for steam, which form a non-conducting blanket, whose constituent elements are constantly changing, because of the free circulation of air through the belt in every direction. Furthermore the belt is freely collapsible or contractable longitudinally of the Web, while it is relatively rigid transversely of the web, the bars 32 being arranged transversely of the web. This is of especial advantage where one of the elements, as for instance the web is relied upon to move the other, since the belt may contract freely longitudinally, that is in the direction of its movement, without wrinkling, humping or buckling. The bars of which it is composed merely slip closer alongside each other, and there is no wrinkling of the belt which would tend to bend the paper web.

I claim:

1. A drier unit comprising an endless belt having a run thereof supported in arched formation from end to end, and supported to move with a moving web of paper or the like to be dried, and heating means below the said run of the belt.

2. A drier unit comprising an endless belt having a run thereof supported in arched formation from end to end, and supported to move with a moving web of paper or the like to be dried, and heating means below the said run of the belt, the belt being of foraminous material.

3. A drier unit comprising an endless belt having a run thereof supported in arched formation from end to end, and supported to move with a moving web of paper or the like to be dried, and heating means below the said run of the belt, the belt engaging the web with restricted portions ,thereof relatively close set for the purpose specified.

4. A drier unit comprising an endless belt having a run thereof supported in arched formation. from end to end, and supported to move with a moving web of paper or the like to be dried, and heating means below the said run of the belt, the belt being pervious to air in all directions.

5. A drier unit comprising an endless belt having a run thereof supported in arched formation from end to end, and supported to move with a moving web of paper or the like to be dried, and heating means below the said run of the belt, the belt being pervious to air in all directions, and the heating means being electrically controlled.

6. A drier unit comprising a casing having an open top, heating means within the casing, and a support for the web of paper or the like to be dried at the open top of the casing and mounted to travel with a moving web of paper or the like to be dried.

' 7. A drier unit comprising a casing having an open top, heating means within the casing, and a support for the web of paper at the open top of the casing and mounted to travelwith a moving web of paperor the like to be dried, the support being arched longitudinally for the purpose specified.

8. A drier unit comprising a casing having an open top, heating means within the casing, and a support for the web of paper or the like to be dried at the open top of the casing and mounted to travel with the moving web of paper, the support engaging the web with restricted portions thereof relatively close set.

9. A drier unit comprising a casing having an open top, heating means within the casing, and a support for the web of paper or the like to be dried at the open top of the casing and mounted to travel with the moving web of paper, the support being arched longitudinally, and engaging the web with restricted portions thereof relatively close set.

10. A drier unit comprising a casing having an open top, heating means within the casing. and a support for the web of paper or the like to be dried at the open top of the casing and mounted, to travel with the moving web, said support being of flexible foraminous material.

11. A drier unit comprising a casing having an open top, heating means within the casing, and a support for the web of paper or the like to be dried at the open top of the casing and mounted to travel with the moving web of paper, the support being pervious to air in all directions.

12. A drier unit comprising a casing having an open top, heating means within the casing, and an endless belt having a run thereof supported at the open top of the casing for engagement by the web of paper or other material to be dried to support said web and to be moved thereby.

13. A drier unit comprising a casing havins a op n t p, heating means i hi th casing, and an ,endless' vbelt hanging ,a ,run thereof supported atthe.open,top of the easing forgengageinent by ;the .webpf paper ,or other mate1ia1 .to ,beidi ied to support said Webnnd to be moved therewith, and means in connection ,With thesupporting means for constraining the .eaid run .of Ethe Joelt to assume an arched ,forrnation longitudinally of the casing.

.14. A ,drier unit coinprising I a ,casing having an ,open .top, .heatlng means within .the casing,r and an endless ,belt having i run thereof supported at the ,open top of the easing for' engagement .by the .web of ,paper .or other Inaterialto'be driedto s1, pport said web and ;to be moved therewith,-.the .belt being pervious to air in all directions.

' 15- A d u i emnr i ga es ng ha ing ,an open vtop, heating means ,with n the easing, 5nd endless belt having n. run thereof supported atthe Qpentop of thecasing fol-engagement by the web of paper or other material to bedried to support said Web and tohe nioved therewith, the heating an omp i ing a s i o el ctr cal y controlled units.

16. drier uniteoniprising a. easingliaving an open top, heating means within ,the casing, and an endless ,helt having ,rnn thereo uppq z a th p n top o the casing for engagement by the web of paper 0 oth mat ria 'b d r euppo, .'i Said web and to be moved therewiththe heating Alena/7,5

means coinprising a series of ,elec tnically controlled units, the side alls .of the casing haying inwardly extending arms, and the units being detaqhfebly connected with the arms and extending transverselyof the easingl7. Adrier unitcom prising ac asing haw ingnn open top, heating means ithin the e g, an n dl sebel ha ng a u thereof snpported at ,the open top of the casing .for engagement by the web of paper orpthermaterialto bedriedto support said eb and ,to be moved therewith, ,the supporting means being ,arranged to arch the belt-longitudinally on the said upper run, and the side Wallsof the casing having in ardly extending flanges engaging above the said run.

18. A drier unitcomprising .a easing, havingan open top, means at the .open top for supporting and guiding the Web of paper or ,the like .to be dried and freely movable ben a h W b, sa d m an be n a an e in arched formation longitudinally of the asing and ,lmatingmean within the. casing.

19.1% drier unit ornprisinga easi11g,l ayingnn ,open top, ineansattheopen top for supporting and gniding the ,WBbOf paper or the vlike to be dried, said means being nounted tmtravel withthe welnand heating ea wit in th cas ng- :TlLtEStinlOl'lY )YbGI'QQfI my signature.

rnnnnn o PAYSON REED.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,432,736, granted October 17, 1922, upon the application of Frederic Payson Reed, of East Orange, New Jersey, for an improvement in Driers, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 8 line 31, for the Word Web read belt; same page, lines 97, 105, and 121 claims 8, 9, and 11, strike out the words of paper; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oifice.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of Now-ember A. 11,1922.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting Commissioner of Patents, 

